Complaint filed against Mayor Brian Treece over alleged campaign issues

COLUMBIA, Mo.

A complaint with the Missouri Ethics Commission claims Columbia Mayor Brian Treece broke state law when collecting donations this year.

Columbia attorney Dan Viets filed the complaint on Nov. 19 against Treece and his campaign committee, Treece for Mayor. The complaint claims the committee violated state law and ethics rules when it took nearly $14,000 in donations following Treece's April win for a second term. The law requires a candidate form a new campaign committee to continue collecting money after an election.

Viets also claims Treece broke a 2016 law that calls for someone who registers as a lobbyist to dissolve their campaign committee. Treece has been a registered lobbyist in Missouri since 1996.

The complaint lays out 13 donations made to the Treece for Mayor campaign committee between his April win and Sept. 4. The next day, the committee filed paperwork with the MEC for Treece to possibly run for a third term in 2022.

Neither Treece nor committee treasurer Chuck Graham responded to a request for comment late Tuesday.

MEC records show Treece has $34,851.62 on hand for his campaign as of Oct. 15.